Monthly Archives: December 1995

Richard III - * * * 1/2*

Posted on December 29, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Shakespeare’s play works well, even when it has been transposed into the 1930s. Ian McKellen plays the title role, as the deformed Duke of Gloster, who schemes, plots, and murders his way into the title of King Richard III. First, … Continue reading →

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Mr. Holland’s Opus - * * * 1/2*

Posted on December 29, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Triumphant portrait a high school music teacher’s career. Richard Dreyfuss plays Glenn Holland, a musician who initially takes his teaching job to earn enough money to begin composing full time. Unfortunately, his life doesn’t turn out as he planned. Not … Continue reading →

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Dead Man Walking - * * *

Posted on December 29, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Director and screenwriter Tim Robbins accomplishes a difficult task in Dead Man Walking: he expresses a heartfelt opinion on the death penalty without seeming either preachy or one-sided. Dead Man Walking is the story of Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), a … Continue reading →

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12 Monkeys - * * * 1/2*

Posted on December 27, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Coherent chaos abounds in this time-travel/virus thriller by the visionary Terry Gilliam. Bruce Willis is James Cole, a convict in the year 2035. In late 1996, a deadly virus wiped out most of the human race, forcing the few survivors … Continue reading →

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Four Rooms - [No Tickets]

Posted on December 25, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

A stunt anthology blunders horrifically. The four hip directors, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Andre Rockwall, and Alison Anders join forces, each directing a supposedly comic segment of this film. The setting is a posh Hollywood hotel on New Year’s Eve, … Continue reading →

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Restoration - * * *

Posted on December 22, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Ribald tale of a foolish young doctor maturing during the 16th century. Robert Downey, Jr., plays the doctor, who is taken into the court of King Charles II (Sam Neill), when he serendipitiously heals the king’s favorite dog. He is … Continue reading →

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Waiting to Exhale - * * 1/2*

Posted on December 22, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Adequate film job of Terry McMillan’s novel about the romantic trials of four black women. Angela Bassett is Bernadine, whose husband just left her for a white woman. Whitney Houston is Savannah, a newcomer to Phoenix, hoping to finally find … Continue reading →

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Tom and Huck - * 1/2*

Posted on December 22, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Disney presents a rather bland display of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is Tom the troublemaking schemer of a child. Brad Renfro plays Huckleberry Finn, the outcast loner of Hannibal, Missouri, wild boy and rebel. After the two … Continue reading →

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Sudden Death - 1/2*

Posted on December 22, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Horrible Die Hard clone. Jean Claude VanDamme is Darren McCord, a fire marshall with a tragic past. He takes his two children to the seventh game in the Stanley Cup finals, a game where he is serving as fire marshall, … Continue reading →

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Grumpier Old Men - * * 1/2*

Posted on December 22, 1995 by Madeleine Williams

Amusing comedy that surpasses the original, but doesn’t aim for much. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau reprise their title roles as the argumentative curmudgeons. This time out, Lemmon has married Ann Margaret, and the weather has warmed up, but everything … Continue reading →

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